Archives for the 'favorite products' Category

Pork tenderloin with roasted beets and salsify

A quick and easy dinner is just what a Monday night calls for. My favorite way to cook pork tenderloin is in an obscenely hot oven (500°) for about 10 minutes or until the internal temp in the thickest part is 140°. But that requires either a clean oven or the doors and windows wide open to let the smoke out of the house. Since it was raining/snowing/sleeting I decided to forgo my favorite method, instead I cut the tenderloin into medallions and sautéd it in some olive oil. I finished them off with a huge splash of lemon juice and then plated them with some of the pan juices dribbled across the top.

Salsify is also known as oyster plant apparently because someone, somewhere thought that it tasted like an oyster. Well I didn’t get that flavor note but it did taste vaguely nutty and sort of reminded me of a sunchoke. It’s a difficult root to peel because it’s tough and the white sap that exuded as I peeled and chopped was sticky and difficult to get off my hands. It’s also necessary to drop the peeled root in acidulated water immediately or it will turn brown.

Once I got the salsify peeled and chopped I gave it a spin around the bowl with some good olive oil and then I tossed it with some dijon mustard, lemon juice, and yuzu honey. The beets were tossed in that mix too. I roasted the two roots in a 425° oven for about 20 minutes and they came out tender and sweet yet with a tiny bite from the mustard. I’ve been cooking beets like this for years and we’ve always loved them but the recent addition of the yuzu honey has been genius even if I do saw so myself. Even though the salsify was fun to try, I doubt that I’ll be in a hurry to use it again. It’s sappiness and extra steps made it more work than it was worth…at least flavor-wise.

Do you seek out new products to try? What has been your favorite find? For me it’s anything with Yuzu in it.

29 April 2008 | Wisconsin, beef, fish, poultry, pork, favorite products, food, geek fast food, low carb, low cal, quick and easy, recipe, vegetable | 3 Comments

Get thee to the farmers’ market and a how to for pan sauce

That’s right my fellow Madisonians and Middletonians…today marks the start of the blessed farmeres’ market season. So if you’re reading this on Saturday as you drink a cup of coffee and ponder what to do with your day, get up and go…they’re selling until 1:00 so you’ve got time.

I was at the Westside Community Market this morning, at around 7:00. I forgot my camera but I can tell you what I bought:

• Brats, breakfast sausage, pork chops, and bacon from my good friends at Jordandal Farm
• Salsify, beets, spinach, scallions, and cippolini onions from Primrose Community Farm
• Eggs and goat cheese from Diana at Dreamfarm
• A 6 year aged cheddar and an Avondale Truckle from Brunkow
• Pain au chocolat from Madison Sourdough
• Maple popcorn and little sausages from Geoff King from Sunnyhill Acres
• Cinnamon roll from Stella’s Bakery
• Milk and cream from Blue Marble
• Sourcream and strawberry yogurt from Sugar River

Next week I’ll remember my camera and I’ll have photos to share. In the meantime, I’m still working on pan sauces and to that end I roasted a chicken yesterday and served it alongside some lentils with a pan sauce…it was fabulous.

How to make a pan sauce

1. Roast chicken on a bed of onion, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary, sage, and parsley.
2. In a small saucepan simmer the chicken neck, gizzard, wing tip, and heart in water.
3. In a sauté pan cook shallots in butter over a low flame for 15 minutes with lid on, 15 minutes with the lid off.
4. Soak dry porcinis in a bowl with some of the hot stock you are making with the chicken parts.
5. Add some cognac or wine to the shallots.
6. Add the drained porcinis to the shallots.
7. Remove the chicken from the oven. Place the chicken on a plate. Deglaze the roasting pan with some of the stock.
8. Strain the deglazed pan juices into the sauté pan. Stir and adjust heat to reduce.
9. Add more stock as needed to the sauté pan. Adjust seasoning.

My favorite snack this week was Madison Sour Dough baquette with excellent butter and sea salt plus radishes with butter and salt….mmmm so good and perfect with a glass of vin rouge.

That cruet and small bottle are full of excellent olive oil and pistachio oil from Vom Fass on University (same strip-mall as Penzeys) but I’ll write more about them next week.

19 April 2008 | Local, Westside Community Market, Wisconsin, bits and pieces, bread, favorite products, food, humor, instruction, surveys, recipe | 5 Comments

Chimichurri chicken, rice, and artichokes

This is geek fast food ala Trader Joe’s. But unlike drive-thru fast food, nothing here will make you queasy, it’s all good for you, it costs less than drive-thru fast food, and you can enjoy a bottle of two buck chuck while you prepare it. Ooops….before I forget, it’s delicious. Also, save all the trim from the artichokes and make a vegetable stock with it…perfect for a spring risotto.

What you need:
1 box of baby artichokes
2 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bag of chimichurri rice
salt, paprika, cumin
splash of white wine
Olive oil

Prep the artichokes according to these instructions.
Blanch them in boiling water for about three minutes, then drain.

Slice the chicken into bite-size strips. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the chicken in olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and a bit of cumin. Once the chicken is browned add the artichokes, and the bag of rice. Toss in about a 1/4 cup of wine or water, stir, cover, and cook for about 8 minuted or until fully heated through. Serve.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes…I appreciate each and every one of them. I’d write more now but I want to go play Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii. It’s a kick-ass game!!!!

11 March 2008 | beef, fish, poultry, pork, favorite products, food, geek fast food, lowfat, quick and easy, rice and other grains, vegetable | 4 Comments

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